1. Technical Field
The invention relates to a method and system for unlocking objects like cars, airplanes, plants, houses and other similar types of vehicles and facilities.
2. Background
The operation of objects such as vehicles and buildings, and the entry or access into such objects is often restricted to authorized persons such as the owner of the object, and those persons who are exclusively authorized for other reasons. For avoiding unauthorized entry, use, operation or theft, such objects can typically be closed and/or locked with a locking/unlocking means, which is for example a key, with which entry, operation and the like can be enabled and disabled.
A common example of this type of operation is found in automobiles and similar vehicles in which a driver opens the passenger compartment of the vehicle and starts the engine using a key. If the driver looses the key, however, or forgets the key inside the car and closes the door so that it is locked there, access is no longer permitted to the car until a second or substitute key is obtained. This may impose great problems, especially if the driver is far away from home or traveling in remote areas with no nearby service facilities.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,072,402 discloses a secure entry system that makes use of radio transmissions to communicate between a central station (clearinghouse) and locks, keys and related components throughout the system. A user who seeks access to a lock establishes communication via a cellular telephone or a conventional communication link to the central station. If it is determined or verified that the user should be authorized to access the related lock, the central station RF—transmits an authorization signal to the lock or to a related key for unlocking the lock to authorize the user to access the area secured by the lock. After identifying the presence of the user at the lock, the user can unlock the lock.